Releasable link.



. .Nm 804,273. PATENTBD NOV. 14, 1905.

R. C. SMITH.

RELEASABLE LINK.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov.1s,19o4.

Ez'zIII RICHARD CLIFFORD SMITH, OE BLUFFPOINT, TENNESSEE.

RELEASABLE LINK.

No. 804,273. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905 Application filed NOVllllJel 18, 1904. Serial No. 233,346.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, RICHARD CLIFFORD SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blupoint, in the county of Hickman and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Releasable Links; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon. which forma part of this speciiication.

My invention has relation to releasable links; and it consists in an S-shaped hook, with or without a retaining-spring, and a releasable spring-link.

My invention is originally designed to be secured by means of a rope or chain to the lower end of a marker used in connection with a corn-planter; but this device may be used in connection .with any marker attached to any planter and it may also be used for many other purposes.

The importance of a marker in connection with a planter is well understood and is frequently used; but when'the marker strikes a stump, stone, or other obstruction it is almost sure to be broken; and the object of my invention is to avoid such accident, in that the spring-link is automatically released under certain pressure and the hook and marker are allowed to yield to the obstruction.

This invention is also adapted to be used in connection with plows in breaking up new or rough ground. When two strong animals are drawing' the plow and it strikes a stubborn obstruction, the plow is almost sure to be broken. The use of my invention will avoid this.

My invention may be advantageously used in many other ways too numerous to mention.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a planter and marker with my invention holding the marker in place. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my invention-S-hook with retaining-spring and a releasable spring-link. Fig. 3 shows a modiiied formof the S-hook-that is, it is made without the retaining-spring. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the releasable spring-link.

My invention is described as follows: In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1, the numeral 1 represents the marker; 2, the rod to the lower end of w'hich the marker is secured. The upper end of said rod is pivoted in aperforation 3 in the r'ear end of the frame of the planter. Near the lower end of the rod is secured an eye 4, in which is one end of a cable 5. The other end I' said cable is secured to the spring part of the releasable spring-link 6, and in the open end of said releasable spring-link 6 is hooked the hook end 7 of my S-shaped hook 8, while the end 9 is secured to the tongue 10 by the doubletree-bolt 11, which passes down through the said tongue.

The eye end of the S-shaped hook turns down against the body of the hook, so that when put in place it cannot be released except intentionally. The hook end 7 stands out from the body, so that the releasable spring-link may be readily hooked therein, and in order to keep said link from coming out at any time by accident I use a retaining-spring 12, one end of which is rigidly secured to the body of the hook, while the other end impinges against the inner face of the hook end 7.

The releasable spring-link has five distinctive features-the spring, the jaws, the shoulders, the mouth, and inclines. The circular part 13 is iiattened and broadened, forming a spring. The jaw ends are cylindrical, and at the termination of the circular part of the link they are turned inwardly until they nearly meet, forming shoulders 15, which prevent the hook end of the hook from passing back into the circular part, thus preventing displacement and insuring proper action, then outwardly, forming jaws 14. The points of said jaws are then turned inwardly until they form a mouth 16, nearly closed. The said jaws are beveled backwardly a little, forming inclines 17, so that thehook end of the hook'may su rely slip out of the mouth when proper pressure is brought to bear.

It is evident that this hook and ring may be made of various sizes and the springs of various strengths, so that they may be adapted to the various uses for which they may be applied.

In use the hook is secured to the tongue l0, the mouth end 16 of the link is slipped over one end of the hook, and one end of the cable 5 is secured to the spring part of the link, while its other end is secured to the lower end of the rod 2, which carries the marker 1. When the marker strikes an obstruction, the link is immediately released from the hook.

Having described\my invention', what I IOO claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The Combination Of'an 'S-hook 8, having an eye end 9, and a hook end 7; a retainingspring 12, one end secured to the body of said hook, and the other impinging against the inner face of the hook end 7, and a releasable spring-link 8, consisting of five distinctive parts; the spring part 13, the jaws 14, the shoulders 15, the mouth 16, and inclines 17, substantially as-shown-and described and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of an S-hook, having a closed eye end, and a hookend, and a releasable springlink,oonsisting of a circular spring 

